— statement posted with video announcement by NSA’s Shep Hyken posted 7/14/14 —
Thank You for Your Feedback.
Thank you to all who have responded to us with phone calls, through social media, and especially the over 500 people who took the time to respond via e-mail with suggestions, comments and feedback about NSA’s proposed brand name. Of those e-mail responses, approximately 300 were from NSA members and 200 from non-members. All contained valuable feedback that helped us reach this decision.
Continue Communicating With Us
If you have any further comments and feedback related to the decision of no longer pursuing the Platform brand name, you can continue to send those comments to [email protected].
Exploring Brand Options Moving Forward
We heard from many of you that while this was not the brand you wanted to see NSA adopt, there is still a need to create a more dynamic and representative brand for the association. A great number of you have also volunteered to be part of an advisory group to consider that future brand strategy. The NSA Board of Directors is committed to having open and transparent input from our members going forward. This advisory group will be a diverse representation of our entire membership and will include both those in favor and not in favor of the brand as it was proposed. The primary task of this group will be to evaluate all branding related issues and present recommendations to the NSA Board of Directors.
Clearing Up Any Misconceptions
Within the feedback NSA received, there were a few questions and comments we want to clear up to ensure there are no further misconceptions about what has occurred or what is planned.
1. Did NSA spend $500,000 on the development of this new brand? No. NSA did NOT spend $500,000 on the brand strategy that was announced. The Board of Directors was prepared to support the strategy with this amount going forward to ensure it was properly executed through marketing and communication campaigns, trademark and legal costs, public relations, and to support the change at the local chapter level; however, that money was not spent in the development phase.
2. Why did NSA not adhere its own ethics and values related to intellectual property when others were using the Platform name? An extensive search was conducted through the US Patent and Trademark Office during the development process. While there were 40 separate trademarks held by various companies throughout the US, only one of those was trademarked in the speaker marketplace and it had not been actively used in the last 15 years. As soon as NSA became aware that someone else was actively using this brand in a similar marketplace to what we proposed, we reached out to that individual immediately to discuss the issue. While it took some time, we have communicated with all parties (including Michael Hyatt and his organization) and have worked out all issues to the satisfaction of everyone involved. NSA takes very seriously any infractions of intellectual property and holds its ethics process and the values of the organization in high esteem and would never intentionally violate either of them.
Your Feedback Made All The Difference
Whether via e-mail, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, or social media channels, the NSA community is at its best when it is actively engaged. While we clearly stumbled with this particular project, we are excited about a vibrant future for our association and its members. We look forward to your active participation as we strive to be the premier association for education and professional community for professional speakers. Please do not hesitate to continue to send us your feedback, comments and questions to [email protected].
Thank you,
National Speakers Association
1500 S Priest Dr
Tempe, AZ 85281
http://NSAspeaker.org